Moldovan farmers face cheaper imported strawberries
Journalists visited the Central Market in Chișinău and found that local strawberries were selling for 130 lei per kilogram, while imported strawberries cost 80 lei.
Is the price gap the result of state policy, or does it reflect the lack of support for domestic farmers? The season has only just begun, but the questions are already mounting. At the Central Market in Chișinău on May 5, Moldovan strawberries were priced at 130 lei per kilogram. Greek strawberries cost 80 lei. The difference is almost one and a half times.
Shoppers were shocked. Some joked that it may soon be cheaper to fly abroad for berries than to buy local ones. Still, many continue to choose Moldovan strawberries, saying they taste better.
Why local produce costs more
Farmers say the explanation is simple: everything involved in production has become more expensive. Fertiliser, fuel, irrigation and labour have all added to costs.
At the same time, farmers say they are still waiting for the state support discussed in the spring. The fuel crisis hit the sector at the very start of the season. Promised compensation has not arrived. The law was amended three times in two months, but the money never reached farmers.
Against this backdrop, imported strawberries from Greece and Turkey are cheaper than local produce. Large agricultural companies have access to subsidies, cheaper logistics and economies of scale that allow them to undercut prices.
Agriculture ministry offers no clear answer
Economists say the Ministry of Agriculture has once again failed to protect domestic producers.
Moldovan strawberries cannot compete on price. Exports to Romania do not solve the problem either: there, Moldovan berries face the same competitors, while Romanian producers are hardly eager to welcome rivals. As for broader exports to the European Union, critics say the government and Foreign Ministry are too focused on eurointegration reports to deal with what they treat as a minor issue — lobbying for national producers.
Farmers asked as early as April for import duties on certain products, including early vegetables and berries. Their request was not taken up.
Food prices continue to rise
The National Bureau of Statistics has already reported that egg prices have risen by 46.5% since the start of the year, while meat is up by almost 30%. Strawberries are only the most visible example.
Prices at the Central Market on May 5 were as follows:
- Tomatoes: 60–70 lei/kg
- Cucumbers: 40–42 lei/kg
- New potatoes: 45–52 lei/kg
- Sweet peppers: 60–70 lei/kg
- Garlic: 80 lei/kg
- Eggs: 35–40 lei per dozen
Questions remain for Moldovan farmers
Moldova is increasingly becoming a country where local goods are the most expensive option.
- Why does a berry grown close to home cost more than one brought in from abroad?
- Why do imports once again win on price?
- And most importantly, will the authorities support Moldovan farmers, or will local agriculture continue to lose ground to imports?
